LONDON (AP) – The latest wave of winter storms battered Britain and Ireland with heavy rain and wind gusts of around 100 miles per hour, leaving tens of thousands without power and hundreds of trains suspended Monday. .
The Met Office had issued an unprecedented nationwide wind warning ahead of Storm Isha, which peaked overnight. Gusts of 99mph were recorded at Brisleywood radar station in northeast England.
Ireland and the UK have been hit by a series of gusty winds and wet storms since autumn, causing trees to fall, power outages and flooding along river valleys. Isha is the ninth named storm since September.
A tree branch falls on a car on Lisburn Road in Belfast during Storm Isha. A red wind warning has been issued for counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo as authorities warn people to be careful ahead of the arrival of Storm Isha. Photo date: Sunday, January 21, 2024 (Photo by Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images)
A clock tower collapsed in Eyre Square, Galway during Storm Isha. A red wind warning has been issued for counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo as authorities warn people to be careful ahead of the arrival of Storm Isha. Photo taken: Sunday 21st January 2024 (Photo Credit: Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Scottish rail operator suspended train services from Sunday night until rush hour on Monday. Network Rail, which owns the rail infrastructure in England, Scotland and Wales, has imposed speed limits on most lines to prevent engines from hitting fallen trees and other debris, and has put speed limits on trains during the morning commute. He said there could be an impact.
Several major roads in Scotland and northern England have been closed due to strong winds, fallen trees and overturned trucks. Northern Ireland Police Chief Superintendent Davey Beck said many roads in the area remained impassable on Monday morning.
“There remains a risk of large debris falling onto the road network as wind speeds remain high throughout Monday,” he said.
Several airport-bound flights were diverted, including a flight from the Canary Islands to Dublin that ended in Bordeaux, France.
Approximately 230,000 homes and businesses in Ireland lost power, and 40,000 in neighboring Northern Ireland.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm was expected to “gradually subside” into Monday, but winds remained strong.
